1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a probing device and a manufacturing method thereof, as well as a testing apparatus and a manufacturing method with use thereof, in which electric signals are transferred through contact probes being contacted with electrodes opposing thereto on an object to be tested, and in particular to a probing device and a manufacturing method thereof, as well as a testing apparatus and a manufacturing method of a semiconductor with use thereof, especially being suitable for contacting with a large number of the electrodes provided on the semiconductor with high density.
2. Description of Prior Art
A wafer 1 shown in FIG. 16(A), on a surface of which are provided or constructed with a large number of semiconductor elements 2 (i.e., chips) for producing LSI, is cut and separated to be supplied for use thereof. FIG. 16(B) shows an enlarged perspective view on one of the above semiconductor elements 2. On a surface of the each semiconductor element 2 are provided a large number of electrodes 3 alighting along the periphery thereof.
For producing such the semiconductor elements industrially in a large number thereof and for inspecting or testing the electric performances thereof, a probing device (prior art 1) of such the structure shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 is used. This prior art 1 is constructed with a probe card 4 and probes 5 of a tungsten wire projecting obliquely therefrom. In testing with use of this probing device, such a method is applied to, in which the contact with the electrodes are obtained by rubbing the probes 5 by use of flexibility thereof to test the electric property of the semiconductor elements.
Further, with further advance in high density and narrow pitching of the semiconductor element, as a testing method and a testing apparatus enabling the property test of the semiconductor element with which an operation test is needed with a high speed signal, a technology is already known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Sho 64-71141 (1989) (prior art 2). In this prior art 2, a spring probe is used, in the shape of which two pieces of movable pins, being biased by springs to project into directions opposing to each other, are inserted into a tube so as to freely come and go. Namely, the movable pin at one end of this spring is abutted on the electrode of an object to be tested, while the movable pin at the other end thereof is abutted on the electrode provided on a substrate of a measuring circuit, thereby performing the test or inspection.
Also, as a probe apparatus (probing device) of the conventional art is also known that shown in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 1-123157 (1989) (prior art 3). Namely, according to this prior art 3, there is described that, on a probe head for transferring electric signals with contacting on the electrode pads of the semiconductor LSI, alignments of electrode pads are formed on both side surfaces thereof, and further provided with a multi-layer print board through which the above-mentioned pads on the both surfaces are connected to each other in a specific relationship of arrangement, and a pin probe (being formed with a selective wet etching) being planted and fixed on the each pad through a conductor layer on the one side surface of the multi-layer print board, which has a thick base portion and a tip having a fine or minute flat portion, i.e., a pyramid-like shape including a conical shape and a polygonal cone.
However, in recent years, with advance in the multiplication of probes and with the increase of density thereof, it is desired to develop a simple and easy probing device for transferring electric signals between the electrodes of the semiconductor element and testing circuitry.
However, with the testing method of the probe card which is shown as the prior art 1 in FIGS. 17 and 18 mentioned above, there is a limit for the testing with high speed signals due to the shape of the probe 5, in which lumped inductance is large. Namely, assuming that a property impedance of signal lines on the probe card is R, the lumped impedance of the probe is L, then a time constant can be expressed as L/R, and it come 1 ns in a case where R=50 ohm and L=50 nH. Then the wave-form is rounded or deteriorated when dealing such the high speed signal, therefore it is impossible to achieve accurate inspection or test. Accordingly, with such the method, it is restricted only to the testing of the direct current (DC) property, ordinarily. Further, with the probing method mentioned above, there is also a limitation in the special arrangement, therefore it cannot cope with the high density of the electrodes and the multiplication in the total number thereof on the semiconductor element.
Further, with the method of the prior art 2 mentioned above in which a spring probe having two pieces of the movable pins is utilized, since the probe is relatively short in length thereof, the high speed electric performance can be tested. However, a self inductance thereof is proportional to the length of the bare probe. Accordingly, in a case of probe of a diameter 0.2 mm and a length 10 mm, the inductance of it comes to be around 9 nH. A stroke noise disturbing the high speed electric signals and a fluctuation of ground level (i.e., return current through ground) come to be a function of the self inductance mentioned above, then it is proportional to the length of the bare probe. Therefore, in a case where the high speed signal higher than several hundreds MHz is applied to, there is necessitated a short probe being shorter than 10 mm. However, it is difficult and not realistic to manufacture the such spring probe.
Moreover, with the prior art 3, since the projecting probe tip is ordinarily formed with the wet etching, the effect of so-called side etching is small, therefore it is difficult to manufacture it within a short time and with high efficiency. Further, with this prior art 3, since the projecting probe tip is formed on the multi-layer print board, a softness thereof is lost, as the result, there is a risk that it gives injure onto the object to be tested, such as the semiconductor element, etc.
As is explained in the above, with the prior arts, there are never taken enough considerations on an aspect that the probe should be shorten in the length thereof so as to cope with the high speed signals higher than several hundreds MHz and it should be constructed with multiple pins for each one electrode so as to connect thereon with a light load and certainty, nor on an aspect of manufacturing it with ease and high efficiency.